Canada



(No Model.)

H. WATSON.

SNOW SHOE.

Patented June 18. 1889.

INVENTOR. WZZZW I By VLLMMM WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

HENRY IVATSON, OF DONALD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

S N OW- S H O E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,516, dated June 18,1839. 0. Application filed August 23,1888. Serial No. 283,577. (Nomodel.) Patented in Ganala April 26, 1888, No. 29,014-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WA'rsoN, of Donald, District of Kootenay,Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a newand Improved Snow- Shoe, (patented in Canada April 26, 1888, No.29,014,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvementin snow-shoes, and has for itsobject to provide a shoe of simple and durable construction, which willnot be ait'ected by a changeable climate, and the further object of theinvention is to provide a simple and convenient means forattaching theshoe to the foot.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the 001m plete shoe, and Fig. 2 is abottom plan View of the same.

In carrying out theinvention, A represents the body of the shoe, whichbody is con structed of one or more pieces of wood of a uniformthickness and a uniform width, from a point a to a point a located ateach side of the center.

The rear portion B of the shoe is straight and in the same plane withthe central or foot portion, and the sides of the said rear portion Bare tapered in opposite direct-ions from the point a to the extremity,as best shown in Fig. 1.

The forward portion B of the shoe is tapered in similar manner from thepoint a to the extremity, and the said forward extremity of the shoe isbent upward, as illustrated at b in Fig. 1. The upward curve is given tothe forward end of the shoe in order that it may slide ahead easilywithout catching the snow and with a very slight elevation of the foot,and the said curved surface also prevents the snow from coming in aroundthe feet.

In the central portion of the body, 1ongitudinally between the points a.and a, an opening D is produced, which opening is larger than the foot.The opening D is spanned by a series of three or more transverse leatherstraps 61 secured at suitable distances apart to the margin of theopening, which straps are adapted as a support for the foot and alsoadmit of a slight purchase of the foot upon the snow below the wood.Directly over the first foot-strap d, or the strap nearest the toe, asecond or toe-strap d is secured, centrally and transversely divided,the parts being united by suitable lacing, whereby the toestrap may bemade to fit any size foot. At the respective points a and a a metalbinding-strip E is transversely secured to the shoe to prevent the woodfrom warping or splitting, and the extremities of the said shoe arepreferably bound upon each side by equivalent metal strips Econstituting a ferrule. The metal strips E E also serve to strengthenthe body of the shoe and to tie the sections when the said body isconstructed of more than one piece of wood.

Two plates H are secured to the front binding-strip E, one at each sideof the center, which plates are provided with an eye at each end, and aloop h is formed in each section of the toe-piece. A leather string h ispassed through the rear eye of one plate H, thence through a loop uponone side of the toepiece. The said string is then made to essentiallyfollow the contour of the opening D, pass through the opposite loop h ofthe strap, through the rear eye of the opposite plate H, across throughthe first-mentioned loop, and following the direction of the other coil,the ends of the string are united, as best shown in Fig. 1. Thus twocoils of string are arranged about the opening D, purposed to passaround the heel and prevent the foot from slipping.

Braces K are attached to the respective corners of the curved end of theshoe and to the forward eyes of the plates H.

To the bottom of the shoe, transversely the same, and immediately infront of the opening D, a three or more cornered piece of wood M isrigidly secured, which strip may be of a thickness to suit the qualityof the snow and the size of the shoe, and from the ends of the saidstrip M similar strips M extend diagonally rearward, terminating at thepoint a.

In ascending or descending a hill, the forward strip M acts as a brake,preventing the wearer of the shoe from slipping and the longitudinalstrips M prevent the shoe from slipping sidewise and also serve to bracethe same. I

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a snow-shoe, the combination, with aWooden body provided with a central longi-e tudinal opening, of flexiblefoot-supports spanning the opening and an adjustable toestrap alsospanning the said opening, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a snow-shoe, the combination, with a wooden body provided with acentral longitudinal opening and flexible supports spanning the opening,of an adjustable toe-strap also spanning the said opening, containingloops, plates secured to the body, and heelstrings passing through saidplates, and the loops of the toe-strap, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a snow-shoe, the combination, with a wooden body having anupwardly-curved forward end and provided with a central longitudinalopening, and flexible foot-supports spanning said opening, of anadjustable toe-strap also spanning said opening, containing loops,plates secured to said body, heel-strings passing through said platesand loops, and braces connecting the plates and the curved end of thebody, substantially as shown and described.

4. A snow-shoe having a central longitudinal opening in its body andprovided with flexible foot-supports spanning said opening and withfoot-securing straps, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the body of a snow-shoe, of an essentiallytriangular brake attached to the bottom between the ends, substantiallyas shown and described.

6. The combination, with the body of a snow-shoe constructed of wood, ofan essentially triangular wooden brake attached to the bottom of saidbody at the center, the members of said brake being polygonal in crosssection, substantially as shown and described.

HENRY WATSON.

WVitnesses:

J. B. JOHNSON, T. W. RIELY.

